Sony Japan issued a new firmware on many E-mount lenses and on the LA-EA3 adapter. The firmware will be available worldwide within a couple of hours on those links:
70-200mm GM firmware
70-200mm G firmware
24-240mm G firmware
28-70mm G firmware
24-70mm Zeiss firmware
16-35mm Zeiss firmware
50mm f/1.8 firmware
24-70mm GM firmware
50mm Zeiss firmware
85mm GM firmware
LA-EA3 firmware
The Sony A9 is now in Stock at BHphoto. Will be in Stock within hours at Adorama, Amazon, BestBuy. FocusCamera. It’s also shipping out from Europeans tores like Calumet.de. Wex UK. Jessops.
Lensrentals tested the camera and the conclusion is:
So is the Sony a9 all that it appears to be? In our initial testing, yes. Sony seems to have made a competitor to the top-tier camera systems from Canon and Nikon, at a fraction of the size and cost. Though the typical problems will arise when shooting Sony’s mirrorless systems – such as mediocre battery life, limited lens options, and third-party options for accessories. That said, if you’re in need of a fast system with a robust build and unparalleled features, the Sony a9 might be your next camera system. I for one, am excited to get more time with the Sony a9 when they become more readily available.
Plenty of SAR readers told me that all major US stores charged their credit cards today. Which means the Sony A9 is shipping at BHphoto, Adorama, Amazon, BestBuy. FocusCamera. Expect all stores to show the camera as “in Stock” within a couple of hours!
And Adobe right now added full support for the Sony A9 and the new Batis 135mm FE lens.
Sony A9:
Sony A9 at BHphoto, Adorama, Amazon, BestBuy. FocusCamera. Calumet.de. Park UK. Wex UK. Jessops.
Sony A9 with Grip Extension Kit at BHphoto, Adorama and Amazon.
Note: US readers preordering the A9 at BHphoto or Adorama using our links (and our affiliated links only!) have a chance to win a Sony A9.
100-400mm GM:
Sony 100-400mm GM at BHphoto, Amazon, Adorama, BestBuy. Calumet.de. Park UK. Wex UK. Jessops.
Sony A9 accessories:
Sony A9 battery grip at Adorama, Bhphoto, Amazon. Wex UK. Jessops.
Sony A9 Glass screen protector at Adorama, BHphoto, Amazon.
NP-FZ100 battery for the A9 at Adorama, BHphoto, Amazon. Jessops.
GP-EX1 grip at Adorama, BHphoto, Amazon. Wex UK.
FDA-EP18 eye cup at Adorama, BHphoto.
MQZ1 multi battery charger at Adorama, BHphoto, Amazon. Wex UK.
BCQZ1 Z-series Battery Charger at Adorama, BHphoto, Amazon.
At the “IR Day 2017” Sony did release more information about their goals and forecasts (you can see a list of files here). In the Imaging Segment Sony predicts a growth in sales and profit:
“Generate higher sales and profit through enhancement of Sony as a camera brand”
It was interesting to read that both camera and lens sales went up 27% during the last fiscal year.
To sum up: Sony is growing and predicts they will keep growing. Translated for us rumor addicted: We will get some exciting new products for sure:
Sony believes it must remain the “last one inch” that delivers a sense of “wow” to customers through its direct relationships with consumers
Shaiful Baker posted a very detailed Electronic shutter comparison between the A9 vs A7Rii vs A6500 in Tungsten Light on our A9 facebook group. He says:
my conclusion, A9 Electronic Shutter is on another level.
Indeed the A9 shows no banding at all. But we need to see how the A9 performs in even worse mixed Light conditions to be sure banding is no issue. Still, it really proves that so far the improvement over the A7rII is impressive and promising!
New tests: Manny Ortiz posted that Sony A9 Real World Testing, Portraiture, Sports, and low light video (watch below). While Jason Lanier posted an ISO test video.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7WFdlfNlZ9Y
Sony A9:
Sony A9 at BHphoto, Adorama, Amazon, BestBuy. FocusCamera. Calumet.de. Park UK. Wex UK. Jessops.
Sony A9 with Grip Extension Kit at BHphoto, Adorama and Amazon.
Sony A9 battery grip at Adorama, Bhphoto, Amazon. Wex UK. Jessops.
Sony A9 Glass screen protector at Adorama, BHphoto, Amazon.
NP-FZ100 battery for the A9 at Adorama, BHphoto, Amazon. Jessops.
GP-EX1 grip at Adorama, BHphoto, Amazon. Wex UK.
FDA-EP18 eye cup at Adorama, BHphoto.
MQZ1 multi battery charger at Adorama, BHphoto, Amazon. Wex UK.
BCQZ1 Z-series Battery Charger at Adorama, BHphoto, Amazon.
The new Sony FE lenses preorders:
16-35mm GM at Bhphoto, Adorama, BestBuy, Focus and Amazon. In EU at Calumet DE, WexUK, Jessops.
12-24mm G at Bhphoto, Adorama, BestBuy, Focus and Amazon. In EU at Calumet DE, WexUK, Jessops.
Sony 100-400mm GM at BHphoto, Amazon, Adorama, BestBuy. Calumet.de. Park UK. Wex UK. Jessops.
The latest photo gadget to launch on Kickstarter promises to give Sony owners a better way to control their cameras: from their smartphones.
Arsenal is a hardware device that sits atop your camera. It will give photographers full control over their DSLR and Mirrorless cameras from up to 100 feet away.
The app includes built-in modes for advanced techniques like photo stacking and timelapse. It will write the merged RAW file directly to the camera’s SD card.
Arsenal also offers manual controls, including live preview, full-resolution photo review, and social media sharing.
But the biggest innovation comes in the form of artificial intelligence (AI) algorithms that compare your scene against thousands of other photos in Arsenal’s “memory” to recommend optimal settings in any conditions.
Arsenal will support the following Sony models will be fully supported at launch: A7, A7S, A7R, A7ii, A7Sii, A7Rii, a3000,a5000,a5100,a6000,a6300, and a6500
You can track the campaign’s progress on Kickstarter or at witharsenal.com.
Links: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/2092430307/1792982088?token=b8ac1747
UPDATE: They hit the Kickstarter goal ($50k) in the first 9 hours!
